The Striking with a suddenness and fury reminiscent of April, 1940,
a tornado swept through Chaffee at 5:37 o'clock Wednesday night of
last week, crushing the business section, as well as destroying
several homes with a damage estimated at far in excess of a million
dollars.
The heart of Chaffee's business district, Main and Yoakum, was the
target for the tornado, which struck in a fashion similar to the one
that hit this community in April of 1940.
Coming from the south, it first hit the Rufus Heeb residence at 218
Heeb avenue, which it destroyed, moving across the street and striking
the Frank Moore residence, then badly damaging or destroying the Clay
Hunter, M.H. Stubblefield, A.A. Klages and Claude Williams residences.
The tornado then moved across the business district where it did
its worst damage, striking the Roy Bell, the Bernice Montgomery
apartment and the two-story frame building of the Phillips Radio and
Television business, all located at Main and Davidson.
Beginning on the east side of Main Street, Heeb's Sinclair Service
Station was slightly damaged as were the Chaffee Plumbing Co, the Post
Office, Chaffee Leader and Heeb's Men's Store.
The two-story building of the Chaffee Building & Loan
Association was greatly damaged, the roof being destroyed and windows
blown out, and upstairs offices occupied by Dr. W.O. Finney and Dr.
B.T. Moudy being destroyed. Finley's Cut-Rate Store, a
two-story building adjoining, was also badly damaged. In
the same block, also practically destroyed were the Maude Keller
Beauty Shoppe, Brown's Tavern, Sides Swap Shop, Veterans' Cleaners'
and Elks Lodge.
It was nothing short of a miracle that there was not a heavy death
and injury toll. George Schwartz an employee of the phone
company, was driving a truck at the Main and Yoakum intersection at
the time the tornado struck, overturning it. He suffered a
cut on the back of his head which required five stitches to
close. Emerson Huey, a construction worker, was slightly
cut by flying glass.
SHOE PLANT DEMOLISHED...The greatest loss suffered by the
community was the demolished No. 2 Plant of Sport Specialty
Shoemakers, just a few feet from this newspaper office.
Approximately 100 people were employed there and nothing but a pile of
rubble was left. Blocker's Tavern, next to the shoe
factory, was demolished, but he and two customers escaped safely.
The plant adjacent, the Chaffee Manufacturing Co. was damaged, but
its condition was much that windows could be replaced and repairs made
to put it back in operation.
HOTEL DAMAGED...The Hotel Byrd, at Main and Yoakum, on the
site of the former Astoria Hotel, was extensively damaged, and the
Dame Mercantile Company's department store located in the first floor
corner of the building, had all its windows blown out and aluminum
awning blown away and its goods inside extensively damaged.
(See the
Article where a Hotel was rebuilt in 1959)
On the North side of Yoakum east of Main Street the front of the
Bank of Chaffee was blown out while directors were having a meeting in
the back of the building. The Chaffee Signal, weekly
newspaper, at the rear of the bank, had 12 window lights blown out and
the north wall of its building pulled loose from the
ceiling. Its roof was also damaged, but water damage to
equipment was said not to be great.
Windows were blown out of the Missouri Utilities Co. offices
adjoining the bank, Stubbs Jewelry Store, Hazel Shell Beauty Shop,
Ann's Insurance Agency and Dr. R.E. Tribble's Clinic.
Division offices of the Frisco Railroad also on the north side of
East Yoakum were extensively damaged. A roof overhang was
pealed back and there was damage to the roof. All windows
on the south side of the building were blown out and there was damage
from rain and wind on the inside. Several freight cars
were overturned in the Frisco yards and some tracks were
blocked. However, rail traffic was able to move.
On the west side of Main, south of Yoakum, Lankford's Drug Store
was extensively damaged with its two front show windows being blown
out and fixtures and merchandise damaged from water from a leaking
roof. Stubbs' Hardware Store next door escaped serious
damage, but Duggar's Store on the other side was damaged, as was Ben
Martin's Pool Hall next to it.
WORSE THAN TORNADO OF 1940...As mentioned in the opening
paragraph, last week's tornado was reminiscent of 1940, in that its
course was very similar, but 1957's tornado did much more damage, as
the big damage was in the business district. In 1940 the
biggest damage was in the residential section.
STORM SURVEY MADE...A Red Cross survey made of the city
showed five homes totally destroyed, 34 houses with major damage, 126
houses with minor damage and 62 businesses damaged.
HELP POURS IN...Help began to pour into Chaffee within an
hour after the storm, Auxiliary Police from Cape Girardeau and
Sikeston reporting for duty. Highway Patrolmen from the
Cape Girardeau and Sikeston zones sped patrol cars here and blocked
off all roads into town from sightseers.
John Dennis, Sheriff of Scott County, was also on hand minutes
later and with his deputies took charge of the situation early.
Poplar Bluff sent its community disaster truck, equipped with
rescue and life-saving equipment, a portable power plant and
facilities to aid in rehabilitation as well as rescue work.
Clark Poppell of Cape Girardeau, field representative for the
American Red Cross, and Dr. LE Bechfold of Sikeston, Scott County
Chapter Chairman, arrived to work with local authorities on rescue and
rehabilitation operations.
$2500 FROM ELKS...Officers of the Chaffee Lodge of Elks were
notified that $2500 was being sent here for food and clothing and other
necessities.
The Red Cross made arrangements for feeding those engaged in the
operations during the night at DePriest"s Cafe. Karl
von Kessel of the Chaffee Signal staff was placed in charge of the
feeding program.
Thursday the Methodist Church Dining Room was used to feed workers
and remained in emergency use through breakfast Friday.
Mayor Wm. Spencer and Judge LD Lankford, Presiding Judge of the
Scott County Court, met with Red Cross officials to map out the plan
of action to be used in bringing Chaffee back to normal.
TELEPHONES OUT OF SERVICE...All long distance lines into
Chaffee and nearly half of the local phones were knocked out by the
storm. One long distance line was restored the same night
and other were in service Thursday.
Because the long lines serving Oran and Benton pass through
Chaffee, service to those towns was interrupted. Leonard
Rehg, district manager for Southwestern Bell Telephone Co said a force
of 25 men was sent here and after long line service had been restored,
repairs would be made to about 400 of the 1000 phones in Chaffee.
Most Chaffee business establishments were doing business
Saturday. Among the exceptions were Dame Mercantile Co.,
Blocker & Whitfield and the Hagan Barber Shops, Maudie's Beauty
Shoppe, Brown's Tavern, Sides Swap Shop, Veterans' Cleaners and Toddle
Inn. The post office moved to the American Legion building
on West Yoakum avenue and has continued to give uninterrupted service.
Mayor Wm. Spencer in an interview with the Signal said, "It
will take some time for this community to recover from this disaster,
but as Chaffee always has bounced back from ill fortune we are certain
she will in this instance and soon again become one of Southeast
Missouri's cleanest and most progressive cities."
This ends our review of the 1958
Tornado, the Chaffee Historical Society has many photos and other material
in regard to this disaster. Please come and visit our
museum.
